Catch Me When I Fall
by Jennawnanaw
Summary: Beckett finds Josh...with another woman. I suck at summarys...rated M for some not-so-socailly-exceptable words
1. Love triangle

Please note: I own nothing

It was 11:30 at night, they had just closed a case, and Josh was back from another 'Doctors Without Borders' mission. So, Kate decided to surprise him. She walked through the sterile hallways of the hospital up to the level labeled 'Cardiac and Nero' on the map in the lobby. Kate hummed an unfamiliar tune as she imagined the look on Josh's face when he saw her, I would've been the first time in a few weeks. She watched her heels as she walked, unsure why, she thought maybe she was just nervous about seeing his face again, it had been so long. Kate stopped dead in her tracks when she heard his laugh, she slowly looked up, immediately regretting her decision.

Josh stood in the middle of the hallway, hands around the waist of some tootie-fruitie nurse who he was swapping spit with.

"Josh?" Kate gasped as the first wave of shock hit her. He looked up, his face going pale. His hands flew off the nurse like she was red-hot.

"Oh, Kate, I was just…uhhh," he looked to the nurse for help that would never come, "wh-what are you doing here, Katie?" Another wave of shock engulfed her, this time followed by nausea. Kate's legs went numb, she stumbled backwards, catching herself before she could fall. Josh reached out to help, still skin-close with the nurse; all Kate could do was shake her head, try not to throw up, and take off down the hall on her shaky legs.

The rain outside poured down on Kate as she aimlessly walked the streets. She couldn't think of anywhere to go, home reminded her to much of Josh, she didn't want anyone at the precinct to she her like this, Lanie had plans that night, and what would Castle say if she showed up at his loft like this? What would Alexis think? The rain poured down harder, his loft was only a couple blocks away, how badly could they possibly think of her? A taxi drove by, submerging the already-wet Kate even more.

She pressed on down the street towards the loft. Maybe Alexis isn't home? The rain soaked her to the bone, sending her body into spasms of shivers. Kate felt like a zombie, she was so tiered.

The light from Castle's loft poured out onto the street, filling Kate with a sense of safety and warmth. She strode over to the elevator, swallowing her emotions while she rode it up to Castle's floor.

Taking a deep breath, Kate raised her fist and knocked on the door.


	2. What I have to lose

"I hope you have thin mints," Castle said as he opened the door, when he saw that Beckett stood in front of him his cheeks flush, "annnnnd, you are not a girl scout.." Kate almost laughed.

"No, Castle, I'm not."

"My God, Beckett, you're soaked! What in the world have you been doing?" He asked ushering her in. Kate did I quick sweep of the loft, neither Martha or Alexis appeared to be home. So she lost it.

"He was with another girl, Castle!" she sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks, "He.. and she….nurse…scrubs….an-and the…..elevator!" Castle led the wet, cold, and sobbing detective to his bedroom. "Castle, wh-what are you doing?" Castle pointed to the bed.

"Sit," he ordered. Kate did as he told her, still sobbing. Castle turned his back to her and rummaged through his dresser. Beckett dragged her hand over the smooth fabric of the dark-gold bed spread. After what seemed like forever Castle turned around and handed her a big t-shirt and a pair of boxers. "here, you need to change. Bathroom is through that door." He pointed to the door behind Kate. She looked at him like he was crazy.

"Castle, I'm not going to chan-"

"Well our sure as hell not going to get sick wearing those." Kate sighed, wiped tears from her cheek, and dragged herself into the bathroom. There was no use arguing. What did that dirt-bag do to her? He grabbed some pillows and a couple blankets and took them out to the living room.

When Kate opened the door again and didn't find Castle in his room again she panicked, he was her life line. Her heart raced as she assumed every possible scenario (most of which involved Josh killing Castle in a jealous rage). "Castle?" She sobbed as she walked out into the living room. He stood from the couch and wrapped her in a blanket. She muttered a thank you and sat down.

"So," he asked, sitting down next to her, "what are going on about?"

"We had just started to really get back together," Kate vented, more tears spurting from her eyes, "an-and he can't NOT go around k-k-kissing other girls?" Castle let Kate vent about how stupid Josh was, nodding when appropriate.

"Josh was a jerk, I could've told you that from the start. He was too pretty." Kate laughed a little and rolled her eyes.

"You say that about EVERY guy I've ever dated since I've known you," she argued. He shrugged. "What's wrong with me? What cant I just meet someone who really understands me?" _I understand you_, Castle thought.

"Nothing's wrong with you, you're perfect." Beckett looked at him, their eyes met. Green peering into blue, blue staring into green. Kate just shook her head. She was suddenly aware of how tired and cold she was. She also noticed she had a splitting headache from crying.

"N-no," she protested, tearing her eyes away, "I'm soooo far from perfect." Castle just shook his head.

"N-" he started but Kate cut him off.

"If I'm so perfect, Castle, why did Josh go start sticking his tongue down some nurse's throat?" She cried, more tears leaked from her eyes. Castle wiped them away and pondered what she had just said.

"Because, people don't know what they have to lose till it's gone," He rubbed a part of the blanket between his fingers, "you know it, and I know it. We've already lost the thing we love…." he trailed off. Kate looked up, scanning his face. She knew he was right, she hadn't know how much she loved her mom till she was murdered. So, Kate just lay her head on his shoulder, trying to ignore her headache.

The clock said 1:05 when Kate finally drifted off to sleep, head still on Castle's shoulder, wondering what it was that he had lost.


	3. I lost you

Kate's eyes fluttered open. A wave of panic washed over her when she realized she wasn't in her bedroom, but the events of the night before came flooding back. Slowly pushing herself up onto one elbow she realized she was in Castle's room, not the couch in the living room. The smell of eggs and bacon flooded her nose, drawing the covers from her. Kate's feet silently touched the cold hard wood floor as she pulled herself out of the bed. She padded into the living room to see Castle dancing in place while he flipped an egg.

"Nice dance moves," She said when she was right behind him. Castle jumped.

"My God, Beckett!" He exclaimed as he spun around to face her, "you're like a ninja without those heels on!" She smiled. Castle took that as a good sign. "A very short ninja," he added, noticing the obvious height distance between them.

"Oh shut up," Beckett rolled her eyes. "C-Castle, sorry about last night, I just kinda lost it…."

"What? No need to apologize," he said, confused, "I've been there before…..many times."

"No, I mean, I just sorta….intruded on you," Kate hung her head. Castle put his hand on her shoulder.

"Kate, really, it's fine. You would've done the same for me," he insisted. She smiled a little, "if I had a soft side, which I don't," Castle added quickly. Kate picked up a dish towel and threw it at him. They both laughed while Castle put the eggs on a plate. "Prepare yourself, Detective, for the best tasting eggs you will have ever eaten." Castle slid a plate in front of her.

"Wow, Castel," she said, taking a bite, "a writer, a dancer, and a chef." He shrugged.

"I'm a man of many talents I suppose." They ate in silence for a while. Until the question that had been nagging at Kate finally let it's self loose.

"Castle, last night you said you'd already lost what you love…"she trailed off, pushing the eggs around on her plate with her fork, "w-who exactly did you lose?" The pit of her stomach told her she already knew.

"The three people I care the most about, Alexis, my mom, and you," he said simply, " I've told you the story when Alexis got lost in the mall, I lost her then. Every time she goes to those knowledge camps and what not, I lose her. I lost both her and my mom to that dirty bomb that almost hit us. And then I lost you." Kate dropped her fork with a clang as a wave of nausea flew over her.

"How could you have possibly lost me?"

"I thought I lost you when your apartment blew up, I lost you to Demming, I lost you to Josh, I got horrifyingly close to losing you in the freezer," He rattled off experience after experience, "I lost you when I went to the Hampton's, I lost you every time someone shot back. I'm a novelist, we think of worse case scenarios." Kate felt sick, the eggs in her stomach suddenly felt like rocks. He rolled his eyes. "Please don't act like you didn't expect it, Kate." _I lost you_ , his words replayed themselves over and over in her head.

_I lost you I lost you I lost you I lost you._ Like a broken record. Her heart fluttered as she muttered, "I lost you, too."


	4. What hurts the most

_I lost you, too?_ Did she really just say that, Castle thought to himself.

"Whaa- Kate, are you feeling okay?" He asked, no matter how true he knew her statement was.

"Did I real just say that out load?" She whispered as if she didn't want anything else unexpected to come out of her mouth. Castle felt a smile spread across his face as he nodded. "Don't look so happy," Kate muttered. Castle made a hissy noise.

"Meow, you said it! Not me." she rolled her eyes again.

"So, that's it? You love me and I love you. The end, exit stage left?" she asked , "Doesn't that go against every country song every written?"

"Kate," last night was a lot for you, and you just woke up. I'm not holding you to anything," Castle said. Kate pushed the eggs around a bit more, no desire to finish them. Finally, she pushed her chair back and stood up.

"I had better go, Martha and Alexis will be home anytime now, and I need to finish some paper work…" She grabbed her purse and keys to leave.

"Uh, Kate?" Castle gestured for her to look down, she was still in his clothes.

"Right. Uh, I'll go change." She walked out of the bathroom four minutes later wearing her outfit from the last night. "Thank you Castle, for everything." She open the door and strode out, no idea where the world was taking her now.

Castle picked up the plates and put them in the dish washer. _she felt the same way_, he thought as he tidied up around the loft. _Is that it?_ Her voice rattled around in his head. Was it? What was he suppose to do now? Suddenly the lyrics to a certain Rascal Flatts song popped into his head.

"' What hurts the most, is being so close, and having so much to say….'"

While Castle was making his bed he couldn't help but notice how it smelled vaguely of cherries. The scent of Kate Beckett.

That was it, he had to stop this madness. He scribbled a note to Alexis, grabbed his keys, and headed to the precinct.

**I know this chapter was short, sorry, trying to keep it at cliff hangers. **

**-McCarthy(author)**


	5. Hold me to it

Castle power walked through the lobby of the precinct, ignoring the 'Morning Castle's and the 'Hey, Rick's. The elevator took to long to get to the lobby for his liking, he almost took the stairs. Once the doors opened, he was on before the music started playing.

"Hey, bro! What cha' doin' here?" Esposito called to him from his desk as he walked off the elevator. Castle noticed Beckett's chair was empty.

"Where's Beckett?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. She came in for a couple minutes, then she just kinda ditched us," Esposito said, obviously hurt.

"Yeah ,it was so random. She was really quiet, too," Ryan chimed in, " she just burst into tears, well, she tried to hide them but, com' on man, we're detectives." _Crap_, castle thought.

"Okay, thanks guys!" He called over his shoulder as he turned back into the elevator. Castle speed dialed number 2: Beckett. "Pick up, Kate," he muttered to himself while he paced around the elevator. Voice mail. _Why didn't I track HER phone?_ Castle asked himself. Five minutes later he called again. Voice mail. _If I were Beckett where would I go?_ She obviously didn't go home, too much to remind her of Josh, or himself. He didn't want to think about the possibility of Beckett running from him.

Castle gave a cab driver the address of the café where Raglan was shot. No Beckett. The art gallery they found the dog in front of. No Beckett. The rooftop Skye Blue had her concert on. No Beckett. Numerous former crime scenes in Central Park. No Beckett. The Museum of Natural History. No Beckett. The ally where Harrison Tisdale had pointed a gun at him. No Beckett. Vega's field in Spanish Harlem. No Beckett. The pet store with the diamond smuggling owner. No Beckett. The ally her mom was stabbed in. No Beckett. Her old apartment building. No Beckett. The parking garage where they met with a member of the Witness Protection Program. No Beckett. The Haunt. No Beckett.

7 hours later Castle was running out of ideas, but it was only 3:00. He would search all night if he had to. The book store where he introduced her to the character Nikki Heat. No Beckett. _Where the hell are you, Kate?_ Castle asked himself as his cab pulled up to the park they had walked through on their first case together. The sun was setting and the air was getting chilly.

At 5:30 most of the kids in the city were eating, so the park was close to vacant. "Kate?" Castle called, ducking his head around the colorful playground equipment. He was about to turn around and check the Q3 when he saw the silhouette of Kate Beckett. She was up-wind from him, so when a gust came he could smell the familiar cherries mingled in with the scent of last nights rain.

Kate sat alone on the cold bench, huddled down into her coat. Castle sat next her.

"Rád bych věděl, co přijde příště," she muttered. He blinked a couple of times. "It's Russian. It means 'I wish I knew what comes next'."

"Don't we all?" Castle asked, "Kate, I said I wasn't holding you to anything," she nodded, a tear fell from her eye, "that doesn't mean I won't hold myself to it." Beckett gave him a confused look, he swallowed his doubts and continued. "I love you Katherine Beckett, I always have and I always will and I cant lose you again." Kate looked down at her intertwined hands and almost smiled.

"Castle, I still love him. I know I shouldn't but I do! How can I love someone who will eventually break my heart?" She whispered, "You're my cement, if I lose you again I'll just crumple apart. Without you I'm broken." Castle had no idea where she was going with this. "I-I love you," her voice barely audible.

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her in the twilight. _It could stay like this_, he thought, _in each others arms, never letting go._ Kate turned to look at him. Her teary green eyes bored into his. She leaned in close and pressed her soft lips to his, ever so briefly, but enough to encourage him that she spoke the truth. Beckett pulled away, leaving the sweet smell of cherries hanging in the night air between them. Castle's mind raced, _did that really just happen?_

"Hold me to it, Castle," She whispered, barely loud enough the hear. He took her hand and peered into her eyes.

"Oh, believe me, I will." He pulled her up, and the two walked wordlessly out into the cool night, hand and hand, without the faintest idea of where they where going.


	6. Fifteen minutes, tops

"Castle, where are we going?" Kate asked as Castle led her through the dark streets.

"No idea, any suggestions?" He shrugged.

"Yeah, how about home?"

"That's not very specific. Who's home? Mine? Your's? Lanie's? James Patterson's?" he joked before gasping and looking at her dramatically, "Esposito's house?" Kate laughed and rolled her eyes.

"I don't think I can go home for a while," she grabbed a lock of her hair and started twirling it between her fingers, "to much…..Josh." He nodded, it was reasonable enough for him.

"So, are you crashing at the loft again?" he tried to not sound as hopeful as his heart was, he still could not believe she had kissed him.

"Oh, I don't know, Castle, two nights in a row? You think you'd be able to contain yourself?" she nudged him with her shoulder, "besides I don't want to be a burden." Rick chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, Kate, dear , dear Kate. When will you learn? We LOVE having you," he stole a glance at her through the moonlight. _We,_ Kate thought. We was the problem.

"What would Martha and Alexis think?"

"Maybe you haven't noticed, but they are hardly one to judge. Well, my mother is…besides, Alexis loves you," he pressed, "You're like the mother Meredith never was." Kate laughed a bit, which seemed to make Castle happy. It was a mind over matter moment: Castle's or God-knows-where.

"I-I guess I don't see the harm in one more night…" Castle gave himself a mental high-five. "But," she added, " I really do need to get some new clothes, and maybe take a shower. Fifteen minutes, tops, at my place?" He nodded once more.

"If you can handle it." She didn't need to think to hard about what that meant, her little scene at the 12th. She had found her helmet in the desk drawer. That was all it took to send her over the edge, plummeting down into a deep dark abyss. They walked the next eight blocks in silence, until they got to her apartment.

"You can just, I don't know, just don't get to comfortable. Fifteen minutes, tops," Kate said as she unlocked the door and let them in to her dark apartment. "I known, got through my bookshelf," she flicked on the lights and gestured to her bookcase, " that should entertain you, maybe." She strode through the living room and into the bathroom. Castle made his way over to her book shelf when he heard the shower turn on. Kate had a vast collection of murder-mystery novels along with romances : all of his work, some Patterson, Connelly, King, Stephenie Meyer, Nora Roberts, even some Nicholas Sparks. He grabbed a random one of his books and flipped to the front cover, he froze. It seemed as though every muscle in his body has iced-over, he couldn't move, he couldn't even speak; Kate's In a Hail of Bullets copy was signed…by him.

_Why didn't she tell me?_ he asked himself. His brain went into hyperactive mode.

_Oh, com'on, Rick, you know the answer to that. _

_Do I?_

_Yes! Com'on , bro, think real hard on it…._

_Because I'd be a dick to her about it?_

_PHEW! Some one give this man a prize. _Castle shook his head to clear it. Had he really lain eyes on Kate before that wonderful night at his Storm Fall book party when she had shown him her badge and asked him to come with her back to the precinct. Rick had barely noticed how much time had passed, he hadn't even heard the shower turn off, but when he heard the slow squeak of Kate's bathroom door he threw the book back into it's spot on the shelf.

"Hey," Beckett said as she shuffled down the hall with a bag of clothes for tomorrow, "my bookshelf entertaining enough for you?"

"Oh yes, you have quite the arsenal of….passion here," his eyes swept over the books again. She laughed a little, her eyes looked panicked. He figured it was time to leave. "Okay, ready?" he asked as he opened the door.

"Lets roll," Kate nodded. She turned off the lights and for a moment they where submerged in complete and utter darkness.

**I'm sorry it took so long to post. Middle school teachers seem to think they need to pack down the homework when some of us have much more important things to do. **

**-McCarthy**


	7. An Agreement

**I'm sorry it took so long to post. Thanks for all the reviews! ****J -McCarthy**

"Are you sure you don't mind me staying?" Kate asked as Castle opened the door to the loft. He made a little 'don't be silly' face and stepped aside so she could go in first.

"Hey dad," Alexis said from the kitchen, then quickly added, "and….Detective Beckett?" Castle threw his coat in the closet and kissed the top of Alexis's head.

"Hey sweetie, how was school?" She shrugged.

"Drama, teen hormones, homework, notes, and people doing God-knows-what in the locker rooms….so, pretty normal," she said simply, everyone laughed. Kate loved Alexis, she really did. Alexis was so much like how Kate was when she was younger: smart, funny, daddy's girl, great work ethic, and neither of them really had a mom around. "So, what are you guys doing so late? New case?"

"Uh, no," Kate said, "Un-official business tonight." Alexis looked at her dad for translation.

"OH HELLO DARLING!" Martha said as she dramatically walked down the stairs, "Oh, Kate, hello."

"Hi Martha," Kate replied as Martha pulled her into a hug. Martha's eyes locked on Kate's bag.

"So, what brings you to our domain?" She strode over to the kitchen _probably getting wine_, Kate thought. Castle opened his mouth to say something but Kate interrupted him.

"There was an issue," she said, but then saw the confusion on Alexis and Martha's faces and added, " with Josh….he was ,um, cheating…" Martha wrapped her into another hug.

"Oh, darling! I'm so sorry! You know, there was this one boy I dated in college, RIGHT after he and I-" Martha ranted.

"OKAY MOTHER!" Castle interrupted before the story could get to R-rated, "Detective Beckett is just going to be staying here for a couple of days, till she's…over things…" _A couple days? With that Castle led her into his study, "I'm sorry about that…" _

"_What? Them? Oh, Castle they're fine. Someone had to say it," Kate reassured him, putting her hand on his arm. "…and, good save with your mom's story, that could've gotten pretty sick." He grimaced and nodded. _

"_Very." _

"_How weird do you think this is going to be for Alexis?" She asked, finally getting the courage to ask what was on her mind for the last hour or two. Castle lowered himself into his desk chair while Kate sat on the end of his desk. _

"_Oh, I wouldn't worry, she's smart. Plus she's seen far weirder come and go." Kate wrinkled her nose, making him laugh. She cocked her head._

"_What?"_

"_The way you do that with your nose, it's adorable!" Heat rose to her face as she blushed. She wanted so badly to say 'I love your laugh, it makes me smile', but something deep inside her told her to shut up, her heart told her to pummel that thing deep inside her to a pulp._

"_Uh," She tucked her hair behind her ear, " I-I like your laugh…and your smile.." He smiled, she re-tucked her hair while her heat melted. _

"_I like your hair," He said, pulling himself out of his chair and stepping over to her._

"_I like your sense of humor," she shot back, stepping closer to him._

"_I li- no, I love your eyes."_

"_I love your utterly stupid Hardy-Boy-act."_

"_I love your amazingly brilliant Nancy-Drew-act," he stepped even closer, putting them nose to nose. Kate laughed._

"_It's no act," she whispered, he raised his eye brows._

"_Sure, what ever you say, I love your not-so-fake-Nancy-Drew-act." Kate's eyes raked his face, searching for any type of smile or smirk, nothing: he was dead serious._

"_I love you," she whispered. _

"_Ah, Detective, I thought you'd never come clean," he said before wrapping his arms around her waist. She giggled as he leaned in to kiss her. Kate felt sparks as his lips touched hers, she threw her arms over his shoulders, running her fingers through his dark brown hair. He rested his forehead on hers, they stared into each other's eyes. _

"_We seem to have come to an agreement," Kate breathed. She brought his lips back to her and indulged herself in another kiss. _


	8. Another Moment to Freeze

Author note: Okay, guys, I am so sorry half of the last chapter was in italics…my computer is psychotic! PLEASE ,OH PLEASE REVIEW! If you have any suggestions feel free to shot me an email!

-McCarthy

"I'm sorry, Detective, but I refuse to let you sleep on the couch," castle said with a straight face, they had been having this argument for a good five minutes.

"Castle, I'm perfecting fine with the couch." Kate was standing on one end of the couch while Castle was on the other. Alexis and Martha sat on the couch watching the argument unfold. After another five or six minutes Martha stood up.

"Kate, darling, feel free to sleep on the couch. Richard, we've been over this, Kate can whoop your ass," she said calmly, Alexis giggled. Kate smiled and Castle threw his mother the _COME ON!_ look. "What? Darling, you don't mess with a woman on a mission," she patted him on the shoulder and headed up stairs.

"Yeah dad," Alexis agreed playfully. She bounced up and kissed him on the cheek, "Night."

"Night," he mumbled while he watched Beckett make up the couch. He eased himself into a chair, "If my mother wasn't here I would've won that argument." Kate laughed.

"Yeah right, I work with Esposito, he has us highly trained not to break."

"I work with him too!" Kate fluffed a pillow.

"Not as long as I have, besides, your mom WAS here." He rolled his eyes. Kate check her father's watch and looked down a her clothes. "I think I'll go change." Castle nodded while she picked up her bag and breezed past him into the bathroom.

Kate sighed and leaned against the locked bathroom door. _Wow,_ she thought, _did I really make-up with Castle? no one could deny that the last couple of days had been weird, but her and Castle, really? Her mom's voice rang in side her head, 'Is this really what you want, Katie?' She rang her hand through her hair._

"_I don't know, mom," she whispered aloud before unzipping her bag, "I really don't know." She shed her work clothes and pulled on a white t-shirt displaying the blue and gold NYPD badge, with the words "Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way" sprawled across the back in navy and a pair of yellow soffees. Her mind wandered as she slowly removed her father's watch and her mother's ring, gently laying them in her bag. _

_Castle sat in silence while Kate changed, the possibility of her having feelings for him hacked viciously at the back of his mind. The bathroom door opened and Kate slid out, despite the blood shot eyes, messed up hair, and obvious distress that loomed over her. She look as beautiful as ever. His eyes widened. _

"_Well, detective, I was beginning to think you had managed to discretely slip out of the bathroom window," he joked, she beamed. _

"_Oh, Castle, I would never do that to you," she reassured him before adding, " without probable cause." _

"_Always a cop," he sighed. She plopped down next to him and curled up against his side. _

"_Not always," she muttered. Castle slowly out his arm around her, drawing the cherry-smelling detective closer. "Some times I'm just Kate." She looked up at his face. He locked eyes with her._

"_I like just Kate," he smirked, "she's simply very Kate-ish." Kate giggled. Suddenly the air was filled with "Two is Better Than One" by Boys Like Girls coming from Alexis's room. Kate cocked her head and got a puzzled expression. Castle's phone vibrated, he picked it up and read the new text message from Alexis out loud. "'This is you and Detective Beckett's song!'" The two simply looked at each other. They maintained straight faces for a good six seconds before the lyrics got to them and they simultaneously burst into laughter. _

_Kate found herself wishing she could freeze that moment, keep her life this forever, her and Castle together, the pure happiness, the innocence of Alexis's music, and the realization that they now had a song. She shot up from the couch and held her hands out to Castle, he took them and she pulled him up. She ignored the suspicious look he threw at her. Kate pulled him closer, directed his hands to her waist, and slung her arms around his neck. Castle caught on and swayed back and forth. She rested her head against his chest, breathing in his cologne. Another moment to freeze. _

_They danced even after the song ended and Alexis was long asleep. Neither one wanted to break their hold on the other. It wasn't until Kate started to drift away that Castle picked her up and laid her on the couch. She watched ,half asleep as he walked over to the light switch. "good night, Castle," she muttered._

"_Until tomorrow, Detective," he switched off the lights. The darkness engulfed her, making her eyelids droop. Kate Beckett fell asleep with a smile on her face for the first time since her mother died. _


	9. No Place Like Home

Kate's heels echoed in the hallway. The rain poured down outside of the hospital, she had the strange feeling that she been her before. A piercing scream bounced around in the halls, Kate's cop senses kicked in, she drew her gun and sprinted around the corner. The impact of the scene in front of her almost knocked her down.

Kate's mom was there, crumpled on ground, so was Josh. He turned to look at her, his hand was wrapped around a bloody knife, "What are you doing here, Katie?" Her head spun, she slid to the ground next her mother.

"K-Katie?" her mother said weakly, her eyes where dimming.

"Yeah, mom it's me. Stay with me mom, stay with me," she coaxed. She held her mother's hand.

"Oh, Katie, I told you so." Her mother's hand went limp. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Mom, stay with, mom! You told me what, MOM?" Kate sobbed, " No, mom, no, stay with…" she trailed off, leaving them in dead silence (no pun intended).

"Kate?" a completely new voice said from behind her, she turned it was Demming. Before she knew what was going on, people where flooding into the hall, calling out to her.

"Hey, kid," that was Royce.

"Detective," Dick Conan.

"Kate?" Sorenson.

"Hey, hott stuff," the kid Brendon from one of the first cases she had with Castle. The hall kept filling with people she had arrested, people who's murder she solved, family of the victims, past boyfriends. They all came closer, she refused to stand up, to leave her mom. More tears flowed down her checks, falling onto the linoleum and making scorch marks where they landed. She was being pulled under waves and waves of people yelling, whispering, screeching, even yodeling her name. _THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME, THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME!_ she thought to her self as she squeezed her eyes shut.

When she opened them again she was in the freezer, with Castle, but he wasn't moving.

"Castle?" She kneeled down by him and check for a pulse, there wasn't one. Fresh tears ran down her cheek, freezing almost immediately. The freezer door creaked open, Kate had enough time to stare down the barrel of the gun before it went off.

"KATE!" Alexis hissed, shaking the detective awake. Kate was breathing as if she had just ran four miles and had ice-scold sweat pouring down her face, along with two trails of tear residue from both eyes. She jolted awake, Alexis jumped back wards a little. "Are you okay? I came down to get ready for school and you where…I don't even know," Kate sat up and ran a hand through her hair.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine, thanks for waking me up, that could've gotten pretty messy…" she muttered, biting her lip. Alexis sat down next to her.

"Messy?"

"Oh, it's nothing, just a bad dream…" That just seemed to spark her curiosity even more.

"About?"

Kate bit her lip harder, " you don't want to know." Alexis tilted her head to one side and shrugged.

"Kay, keep holding that stuff in, its not good for your health," she said as-a-matter-of-factly. Kate laughed a little.

"Believe it or not, I've heard that by many a medical exam mar," she said, "well..no, just Lanie." Alexis gathered up her bag and headed to the door.

"Can you tell my dad 'bye' for me once he wakes up?" she asked, "maybe you can even give him a kiss for me." She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Bye Alexis," Kate said, Alexis left the loft laughing. Kate rolled her eyes and pulled her self off the couch.

**Author note:**

**I'm sorry if this goes in to italics like the last two…**

**-McCarthy**


	10. Popsicle stand

Castle woke p to the smell of bacon and the noise of female chatter.

"I had had the cat in one hand, Royce was trying to move so I could shoot the guy, I'd had enough of it, so I told the guy if he put his gun down I'd show him my boobs!" Castle heard Kate say as he shuffled down the hallway. Kate and Martha burst into laughter. Martha sat at the counter with Kate, mindlessly crunching on bacon.

"Morning Castle," Kate said between bites. He shuffled over to them, kissed his mom on the cheek and grabbed a piece of bacon. When he did so he leaned over Kate, who planted a kiss on his cheek. "That was from Alexis, she wanted me to give it to you." They both smiled, their eyes linking.

"Well," Martha said, suddenly breaking their link, " I'm off." She picked up her purse and headed put the door. Castle and Kate waited in silence for the sound of Martha's heels to subside from the hallway before continuing.

"So, detective Beckett, what mischievous things shall we be doing today?" He asked, leaning against the counter and popping a piece of bacon into his mouth. She shrugged.

"I have to work, I'm surprised a body hasn't dropped yet," she glanced at her phone like she was waiting for it to ring. "Why? Did you have something in mind?"

"Oh, nah, just stalk- I mean follow you, like always," he smiled at her, she mirrored him.

"Always," Kate muttered. _Another moment to freeze, she thought. "You might not get to follow me today, unless a body drops…" they both turned toward her phone. Sure enough the screen lit up and 'Incoming Call: Esposito' flashed up. _

"_Ah, cellular device, you never seize to amaze me," Castle sighed. Kate beamed and turned her phone on speaker. _

"_Beckett." _

"…_and Castle…" he added before Esposito could say anything. _

"_Castle?" he asked, "you, man, what are you to doing together this early…did you to-" _

"_ESPOSITO!" Kate cut him off, " what did you need to tell us?" Esposito giggled when she said 'us'. _

"_Body dropped, shouldn't be to hard for you to find." _

"_where is it?" They asked in unison. _

"_the apartment across from Beckett's," he said a-matter-of-factly. Kate's jaw dropped._

"_Who lives there?" Castle asked her. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it. _

"_I-I don't know, I've never met them." Esposito laughed._

"_You been living in that apartment for ,like, half a year and you don't even know your neighbors?" Esposito asked incredulously. _

"_I was busy with work and….work," she defended. _

"_Yeah, okay, whatever, just get here ASAP." _

"_On it." she snapped her phone shut. They grabbed their coats and headed towards the door._

"_Lets blow this popsicle stand," he said as he pulled the light-brown coat over his shoulders. Kate rolled her eyes and opened the door. _


	11. Holding cell

"Vic is Nina Thompsbower," Ryan said as Castle and Beckett strode into the crime scene.

"Nice last name," Castle chuckled. Beckett glared at him.

"She's a nurse," Ryan continued as they walked up to Lanie and the body, Kate just about had a heart attack. She knew the vic. Not well, she had only seen her once, making out with Josh. Her knees gave in a little and she stumbled. Castle caught her and steadied her.

"Aw Hell." They all looked at her. "Castle, this is the nurse Josh was making out with."

"Josh was doing what?" Lanie freaked.

"Wait, so…doesn't that make you a suspect?" Ryan asked, looking at everyone from confirmation. Kate nodded. Esposito looked at Lanie.

"Time of death?"

"I have to get her back to the lab…" Lanie trailed off her brown eyes looked at Kate sympathetically.

"Kay, well, I'm obviously not on this case right now…" Kate said, rocking back and forth on her heels.

"Beckett….protocol states…" Ryan started.

"Yeah," she nodded solemnly, "I know." She hung her head. It broke Castle's heart to see her like this.

"What?" He and Lanie said in unison. Beckett turned to them.

" They have to take me in for questioning and until Lanie gets a time of death I'll be in a holding cell," she stated. The five of them sat in silence for a few moments while that sunk in.

"You don't have to stay here, you know that right?" Kate asked Castle. She was sitting on the end of the only bench in the holding cell, Castle was sitting on the ground outside the cell.

"Like I'm going to leave you here, no, think again detective," he said. Kate's elbows where on her knees, while she ran a hand through her hair. The scene looked so wrong, Beckett behind bars?

"Where's Esposito with the time of death?" she asked her self. "God, this sucks!" He watched her fall back against the wall.

"Kate, please tell me you're innocent." She looked at him like he was a dead fish talking.

"Castle, my mom was murdered, they never caught the killer! Why the hell would I make someone else go through what I went through?" her green eyes bore into his. It was answer enough for him.

"I-I just had to check.." he mumbled.

"I know," she looked toward the door, " You should call Esposito and find out where the-"

" between five and seven this morning," Esposito called as he and Ryan flew through the door, "where were you?" Five and seven…

"Castle what time does Alexis leave for school?" she asked.

"Seven-ish, why?"

"I was asleep, Alexis woke me up before she went to school," Kate said as-matter-a-factly. Ryan didn't skip a beat.

"Why would she wake you up?"

"I was having a night mare, flailing around, yelling, the whole bit," she countered.

"Can she confirm it?"

"Yes." They sat in silence.

"We'll get right on that, I get the feeling you want to be the one to interrogate Josh if need be," Esposito laughed.

"Yes please."


	12. Elevator Rides :

"_Mr. Davidson, you've been informed of your rights?" Kate asked as she and Castle strode into interrogation 1. Josh looked at her like she was crazy. _

"_Wh- Katie, why am I here?" Josh asked, leaning over the table. Kate eye brows flew up at the name 'Katie'. _

"_Mr. Davidson, seeing as this is a murder investigation and you are our prime suspect, I'd address me as something more professional than 'Katie'," she spat, "now, have you or haven't you been informed of your rights?"_

"_Yes, DETECTIVE," he said, his voice getting considerably loader when he said 'detective'. From Castle's standing spot my the mirror he opened his note book and wrote 'Can we hold him out of spite?' on the thin line and pressed it against the glass for Ryan and Esposito._

"_I understand you were in a relationship with Ms. Thompsbower , care to elaborate on that?" _

"_I was banging her, end of story," he said simply. _

"_So, you were cheating on you're girl friend with Nina, they both found out. What are you to do. Kill one of them, obviously, make it look like the other one did it. The…other girl wouldn't be as easy to take down as Nina, so you follow her home…" Kate said, walking in circles around him. _

"_No, that's not what happened!" _

"_Then what happened? You know how we found her? CUT OPEN! You're a surgeon, taking out organs would've been Childs play for you…."_

"_No, it wasn't like that, I didn't kill her!" he insisted. _

"_If I remember correctly, you never really liked Easter….perfect day for you to commit murder…." \ "Ka- Detective, I didn't kill her, check my alibi or what ever.." Castle sat and watched, not wanting to interrupt their little tango of interrogation. _

"_Between five and seven, where were you?" _

"_That's just sick, man," Esposito said as Beckett clipped Josh's picture up onto the murder board section labeled 'alibi-out'. It was sick, so was Kate. Sick to her stomach from Josh's alibi, she kept choking back her tears till she could escape to the bathroom...or to Castle. _

"_Hey, how'd it go with Josh?" Montgomery asked as he walked into the squad room. _

"_Alibi out,"{ Ryan informed him, gesturing toward the board. _

"_What was he doing?" They all looked at Beckett. _

"_He was ,uh, pleasuring himself….at a motel…lots of witnesses….all female…all remember it in vivid detail," she explained, they all grimaced. _

"_Ew." _

"_Yeah, of all people I never thought Josh would be the one to have a," Castle counted on his fingers "….5-6 sum…" Leave it to Castle to not sugar coat anything. _

"_Uh, Castle, can I talk to you for a minute…alone?" she asked and led him through the bullpen to the elevator. _

"_Where are we going?" he asked, glancing back at the squad room. The doors dinged open and Kate pulled him in. The second the door closed she had her arms wrapped around him and was balling into his coat. He wrapped his arms around her, too. _

"_five other girls, Castle, FIVE!" she blubbered. He nodded. _

"_I know, shhh, I know," he started swaying back and forth with her, taking her back to the night before. "' I remember what you wore on the first day, you came into my life and I thought Hey , you know this could be something. Because every thing you do and words you say, you know that it all takes my breath away and now I'm left with nothing,'" he sang, she laughed a little, "so maybe it's true that I cant live with out you and maybe two is better than one, but theres so much time to figure out the rest of my life and you've already got me coming undone…'" _

_By the time the doors dinged open on the homicide floor Beckett's face was dry and they were hand in hand walking off to find a psychopathic killer. _

_**My best friend has two last names, I combined them and got Thompsbower…I'm just cool like that.**_

_**-McCarthy**_


	13. Angry Birds

"Okay, thank you," Ryan said before slamming the phone down, "that was the last one, all four girls confirm Josh's alibi…sorry." Beckett pursed her lips and nodded.

"That's okay, Josh can hardly plunge a toilet, let alone kill someone…" she said, trailing off toward the end. "Look into other doctors at the hospital, see if Nina had any more…strong relationships." Ryan and Esposito nodded and headed to the elevator. Kate felt Castle's eyes on her while she stared at the murder board.

"You okay?" he asked. She turned to look at him.

"Yeah, no, I'm fine…" she said, looking away. He rolled his eyes and moved to sit by her. Kate rested her head on his shoulder. "Just tired."

"speaking of which, what was your nightmare about?"

"Nothing."

"Josh?" he pressed. She was silent for a moment before answering.

"…no.." she lied. He rolled his eyes again.

"Lets pretend like you're not lying to me, Kay? Are you staying at my place again?" she flipped that over in her mind a couple times.

"I don't know, I- I don't think I'm ready to be home…at least not alone…would you be willing to stay at my place?" she asked, biting her lip.

"Why, Detective Beckett, I thought you'd never ask!" She laughed and pulled herself up from the desk and strode into the break room. He watched her smile and shake her head as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "You, know, I do believe you'll die from a coffee induced Acoma in the near future.." he said once she was back at her desk.

"Really? Make sure Lanie does the autopsy," she swigged her coffee and stared at the murder board.

"On it," Castle typed it in as a note on his iphone and showed her, "it is forever locked into my memory." she rolled her eyes.

"what is it with you and apple products?"

"Apple products have the best angry birds, duh!" he said as if it were obvious. She nodded.

"Of course, what do people like about that game anyway?" she asked.

"I like the jist of it, slinging birds at forts, who doesn't like that? Its very….medieval."

"Medieval?"

"Yeah, chucking live animals at each other, like Mony Python and the Holy Grail!" he pulled out his notepad and jotted something down. Kate decided she wasn't even going to ask what he'd wrote. She giggled. "What?"

"Nothing…you just are talking about how much you love iphones and use them for everything, but you still write things in your notebook? Why?" He seemed to realize it for the first time.

"So….when electronics take over the world and my iphone has gone to the dark side, I'll still have something to look at for my writing," he concluded, looking rather proud of himself.

"If all electronics are evil how are you going to type it up?" she beamed. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it. Her smile grew wider.

"You shouldn't look so happy with yourself, very un-Beckett like…" he looked away, accepting defeat. Her laugh filled the bullpen, attracting the gaze of a couple uniforms. They looked into each other eyes, not caring who saw or who said anything.

Kate walked out of the lady's room about half an hour later to see a chocolate bunny sitting in her chair with a sticky note in the top of the box. She picked up the note and read.

Happy Easter, I had this special-made, cool, huh?

- Sir Castle of Manhattan

She rolled her eyes and peered in at the bunny, it was wearing a miniature police vest with the word 'writer' across the front and back. The homicide floor of the 12th precinct was filled with the unexpected -and now rather frequent- laughter of Detective Beckett.

**Happy Late Easter every one! Please review! Oh, and a very, very Happy birthday to Stana Katic!**

**-McCarthy**


	14. Alice in Wonderland

Kate couldn't believe how untrained Castle was in counter surveillance. She was practically rest her chin on his should, yet he sat there, flinging his angry birds through the virtual air, ignorant of Kate's presence.

"Ello," she whispered and planted a kiss on his cheek as quickly as possible before his iphone flew out his hands by surprise. He barely caught it before it hit the wood floor.

"K-Kate!" His eyes were wide , "you need louder heels!" She rolled her eyes. "Uh, any news on the other people at the hospital?"

"In fact, there is," she said, " neurosurgeon is being questioned by Ryan and Esposito right now."

"Why not you?" he asked the obvious question. She sat on the arm of his chair.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go to lunch, my equivalent of the chocolate bunny." He was fast to reply.

"Sure! Let me get my coat!" he pulled him self up to get his coat. When they where both set they started to the elevator, once the doors shut Beckett slipped her hand into Caste's.

"Now, this is my kind of lunch date," Castle said between bites of Mushu Pork. Kate laughed. It was a beautiful day by the Alice in Wonderland statue, little kids ran around, older couples walked arm in arm, and joggers with baby strollers went by.

"My mom and I use to come here all the time, she loved this statue," Kate sighed and tilted her head back with closed eyes. "I love it here."

"Yeah, the air always seem so much less…..smoggy," he said in the most serious tone he could muster. Kate looked at him, they broke into laughter. The kind of laughter that makes the old people walking around smile the denture smiles. A police man on a horse trotted by and nodded his head at them.

"How'd you do it?" Kate asked then saw his confusion, "steal the police horse, how'd you manage it?"

"Oh, I… uh, lets see…how did I do that? Oh, now I remember! The officer got off to help a girl with something, Alexis was really into riding horses back then so I figured, Hey, why not be friendly? So, I started petting it and talking to it, one thing led to another and I was riding it…." he told her.

"But…weren't you naked?"

"You would remember that part…" he smirked, she looked at him expectantly, " okay, so, I had a few beers before that…and it was late…" she nodded, "and that, my dear Kate, is the story of how I stole a police horse," he made a little bow. She laughed.

Kate's eyes glued on a daughter walking with her mother, hand in hand, the little brunette girl chattering the whole way. It didn't go un noticed.

"you really miss her, huh?" Castle asked. Kate bit her lip and nodded. "I could be worse," he said, "You could be Charlie Sheen." Kate burst into laughter again. Another moment to freeze, she'd have to start making a list.


	15. To the Morgue!

**Sorry the update took so long. Please review!**

**-McCarthy**

"Yo, neurosurgeon is a bust, apparently he is our Vic's cousin," Esposito said as Beckett let go off Castle's hand and walked off the elevator.

"Bummer…" Castle muttered. Ryan nodded. Beckett threw her coat over her chair and turned to the boys.

"Okay, lets check into her financials, see if anything pops," her phone buzzed and she looked down at a text from Lanie, "Castle and I will head down to the morgue." They nodded and went their separate directions.

"You're awfully quiet," Kate pointed out in the car, glancing over at him. He shrugged. "You okay?"

"Yeah…." he looked out the window.

"That doesn't sound okay….." they stopped at a red light.

"I'm fine…I just…I don't know," he said, "I'm a writer…we brood." Castle then turned the radio on to avoid further conversation. Kate's crown Victoria filled it self with "Two is Better Than One" by Boys Like Girls. The detective and the writer looked at each other in amazement before bursting into laughter. Then something dawned upon Kate.

"you're mad because josh has an alibi, aren't you?" his face turned a deep red and she giggled at the confirmation.

"J-just a smidge." Kate's laugh over powered the music. The light turned red and she slowly put her foot on the gas. Castle's face was frozen in a look of terror as she pulled across the intersection. He had just enough time to yell, "KATE!" before the dump truck smashed into the driver side of the car.

**Yeah, I know, short. I wouldn't make one this short if I wasn't planning on a faster update for the next chapter. **

**-McCarthy**


	16. Head Aches

The first thing Kate noticed was the warmth of someone's hand holding hers, she gave I a weak squeeze.

"Kate?" Castle's voice came from her left, "Kate?" her eyes fluttered open to reveal the inside of the parked ambulance.

"Castle?" she muttered, "w-what happened?" she began to sit up from the gurney in the ambulance but slide back down when the world started to spin. Castle sat next to her, holding onto her hand for dear life.

"My God, Kate, don't ever scare me like that again! I-I thought I'd lost you forever, I-"

"-CASTLE! What happened!"

"T-boned by a drunk driver…in a dump truck ," a paramedic said, climbing into the ambulance, " Miss Beckett, nice to see you came around, you gave a quite a scare." The paramedic was a tan, petite woman with dark brown hair pulled back into a pony tail and an accent that practically dripped with Jersey.

"Greaaaaat," Kate muttered in a monotone. She glanced from the lady to Castle's worried face. "What about you, Castle, are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine, Alexis is freaking out though…about you, not me. She knows I'm fine," He glanced at his phone, "I should probably call her…." Kate nodded and he left to go call Alexis. Kate found herself smiling as he left.

"You've got yourself quite a man there, detective. He wouldn't leave your side for nothing," the lady said, sliding closer, "Do you think you can sit up for me?" The paramedic put her hand on Kate's shoulder to help her sit up, this time the world spun slightly less and the effect didn't last as long. Once she was up the paramedic , who's name was Lacey according to her tag, pulled out a minni flash light. "Okay, Hun, follow my finger." Kate did as she was told, swallowing the feeling of stupidity she got as she moved her eyes back and forth with lacey's finger.

"Doesn't look to bad," Lacey said, clinking off her flashlight, " I say go home, get some rest and you should be fine. No major damage, but if you get head aches or things start to spin go to the hospital."

"Okay, thank you," Kate stood slowly, the last thing she wanted was to fall right in front of a paramedic.

"Hey," Castle came jogging up to her, "You okay?" She stumbled into him a little, he wrapped his arm around her waist for support.

"I'm fine," she said, neglecting the protest that should have come next about his arm. He looked at her like she was crazy, "WHAT? I am!" Castle shrugged. They hailed a cab and gave the cabbie the address of the 12th.

When they walked off the elevator everyone in the bullpen turned their attention towards Beckett. Esposito and Ryan were the first to reach them.

"Yo, Beckett, you all right? Heard you went into LALA Land for a little while," Esposito smirked.

"I'm fine," she said ," uhhh, would you guys mind if I turned in early?" Ryan and Esposito looked at each other.

"Nah, go ahead, we got this." They did they're hand shake while Kate rolled her eyes.

"Thanks guys." She grabbed her purse from her desk and got back on the elevator with Castle. The doors shut and he wrapped his arms around her. "C-Castle?" she muttered into his shirt.

"I'm sorry, I've been wanting to do that since you woke up. I really thought I was going to lose you," he explained. She smiled even though she knew he couldn't see it.

"I think I'm losing it Castle! The light was red, why did I go?" she was asking herself more than him.

"This whole Josh thing just has you stressed, its okay, no one was hurt…" the doors dinged open and they walked off to hail a cab. "We should probably stop at your place first…get some stuff and make sure Alexis knows you're okay…"

"What?" he looked confused. Kate smiled.

"You said you'd stay at my place tonight, remember?" A grin spread across his face as he remembered that he did in-fact say he would.


	17. Stroll in the Hall

**So, my guidance counselor and my English teacher for next year said I couldn't take Creative writing as a freshman because I'm to young! Really? How am I suppose to wait till I'm a junior?**

**-McCarthy**

"**OH MY GOD!" Alexis threw herself at them the second they walked through the door, engulfing them in a massive bear hug. The sound of Martha's heels clicking down the stairs echoed in the loft. **

"**Hi, sweetheart, how was school?" Castle muttered, his voice muffled. He pried Alexis off of them and held her at arms length. **

"**Great, except for the whole part with you about dying!" A sudden pang of guilt came over Kate. **

"**Ah, Kate, darling!" Martha swooped down and hugged her, "I heard about the crash, Alexis and I were just so worried." **

"**Oh, don't worry I'm perfectly fine," she shooed away their worries. **

"**We're actually just stopping by, I'm going to be at Kate's tonight, long story, but I needed to pick up some things and she wanted you guys to know we were fine," castle said, disappearing into his room. **

"**So, what exactly happened?" Alexis asked. **

"**We…uh, I don't really know," the red-heads looked at her like she was crazy, she explained, "I…um… kinda blacked out…another reason why he has to look after me, if my head starts hurting I'm suppose to go to the E.R…." **

"**OHMIGOD! Was it horrible? were you scared? What's the last thing you remember?" Alexis leaned in with excitement. **

"**I was completely freaked out when I woke up," Kate gushed, " The last thing I remember before waking up in the ambulance is him yelling my name to warn me." She gestured to Castle's door. **

"**So, is your head okay?" **

"**Oh, yeah I'm fine, just a couple of bruises. I'll be perfectly fine," she said, neglecting to say her foot had really started to hurt. The girls chatted for a couple more minutes while Castle grabbed some things and they headed back to the car. **

"**They think we're together," Kate said when Castle was buckled in next to her. **

"**What?" He chuckled. She started across the city to her apartment. **

"**Your mom and Alexis think we're together." **

**He didn't skip a beat, "Are we?" Kate looked into his eyes, mouth gapping. **

"**I- you tell me," she turned her attention back to the road. **

"**Let's see what the radio has to say about it," he turned on the radio. It was playing "Two Is Better Than One" They looked at each other. "Hmm, that's really kinda creeping me out, but I guess it's a yes."**

"**Me too, who the hell runs this station?" They parked in front and got out. The realization of Castle's admittion to them being a couple distracted Kate from the building pain in her left foot as they walked up to her apartment, hand in hand. Kate noticed that Castle was humming the song from the car and gently swinging their intertwined fingers back and forth. **

**The scent of Castle's cologne and the events of the day distracted Kate, of all people, from noticing the third person in the hallway, waiting outside her apartment door. **

"**Beautiful night for a stroll in the hall, especially after a near-death experience," said the voice of the petite African-American, medical examiner standing on Kate's door step. **


	18. Truth or Dare?

"Lanie?" Kate and Castle said simultaneously.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything," she grumbled. Kate stuck her key in the lock and twisted till it clicked open.

"Lanie, what's wrong?" she asked, gesturing for the medical examiner to come in. Lanie entered and spun around to face them.

"When did you plan to tell me!" She freaked. Kate put her bag by the door and switched on the lights.

"Tell you about what?"

"THE FREAKING CRASH!"

"Oh," Kate looked at Castle for help, "we…uh, we were going to tell you first thing in the morning." Lanie's brown eyes turned to Castle, he nodded.

"But, you're okay? No concussion? No PCS?" Lanie's mouth was going a mile a minute, "Nothings broken is it? Here, turn around I want to check your spine. You haven't thrown up have you? Is your vision blurry?" Lanie went on like that for about another minutes before Kate stopped her.

"Lanie, I'm fine," she grabbed her friends arms as if steadying her.

"But your concern for me is touching," Castle piped up from behind them. Lanie wrapped Kate up in a hug.

"Okay, Hun, but if you fell sick or anything call me! Okay?" she said into Kate's shirt.

"Of course, first thing!"

Kate and Lanie said their goodbyes and Lanie left with no further questions. Kate closed the door and turned to Castle on the couch.

"Wonder who told her," she said, plopping down next to him. About five seconds past before they looked at each other and simultaneously said, "Esposito." Castle slung his arm around Kate's shoulder.

"Don't worry, she's just a good friend." Kate nodded and snuggled into him.

"You hungry?" she asked, turning her green eyes up to him.

"A smidge." She bounced up from the couch and grabbed his hands to help pull him up. She danced into the kitchen. Castle trailed behind her.

"I'll make you my specialty," she said, grabbing some wonder bread and a jar of Jiffy peanut butter.

"Yum. Peanut butter." He reached for the jar but she smacked his hand away. She danced past Castle for plates, he scooped her up and twirled her around. She squealed with laughter, and pressed her forehead against his. He breathed in the scent of peanut butter that hung in the air and touched his lips lightly to hers. She laughed again and sighed deeply.

"I'm starting to think all this laughing is bad for my health," she whispered, "my body isn't quite use to the whole 'smiley happy' concept." He carried her over to the couch and held her a good three feet above it.

"Well, that just something we'll have to change," he said before dropping her. She screamed as she fell onto the cushions. "We can't have a happy Beckett," he sat next to her and handed her a sandwich.

"You are such a liar!" Kate said five hours later while they were playing a game of truth or dare, " you did not go into the apple store dressed as a beekeeper!" He nodded.

"Yes I did!" Kate sat cross legged on the floor across the coffee table from him. She shook her head. "Okay, Kate, truth or dare?"

"Dare," she said instantly. Castle thought about everything he could make her do. He didn't want to pressure her into something, so he went easy.

"I dare you to prank call Perlmutter." Her mouth gapped open and she reached for her phone. The mechanical noise of the buttons filled the apartment.

"Yes, Dr. Perlmutter? This is Sir Raley Ochoa, I was wondering if you could deliver a kiwi to my house," she said with a straight face. "no, the bird" The line went dead.

"Guess we know why he prefers dead people," Castle shrugged. Kate looked at her watch.

"It's getting kinda late, I'm going to hit the hay," she stood up, "I can sleep out here if you want.."

"No, I'm fine with the couch." She smiled.

"Okay, Night castle." He stood and kissed her forehead.

"Until tomorrow, detective," she rolled her eyes and padded down the hall to her room.

Two hours later Castle woke up to the sound of Kate throwing up.

Castle was in a sleep induced daze as he ran to her bathroom. "KATE?" She was curled into a ball on the floor next to the toilet, tears streaming down her face. He knelt beside her. "Kate, what's wrong?"

"Call Lanie," she croaked before pulling herself back up to the toilet to throw up again.

"On it!" he said and sprinted to the phone.

"Hello?" a male voice answered. Castle looked at the phone's speaker before he realized who answered.

"Esposito?"

"Castle?" he sounded just as surprised.

"Yeah, hey, Lanie needs to be at Beckett's apartment ASAP!" He glanced back to the bathroom door.

"Is everything okay?" Castle could hear Lanie asking Esposito questions in the back ground. The sound of Kate throwing up again filled his ears.

"No," he said, "everything is most certainly not okay!" He hung up and ran back to the bathroom. "They're on their way." She nodded weakly but suddenly stopped and swallowed hard. Thousands of things ran through Castle's mind, most of which were questions. What was wrong? Was she going to be okay? What time was it? Where the Hell was Lanie? Castle sat down next to Kate and slowly put her head in his lap and rubbed her back.

"Where is she?" Kate whispered.

"Don't worry, she'll be here soon," he said.

When Lanie came she almost knocked the door down, apparently she had an extra key to Kate's apartment, but she somehow got right in.

"IN HERE LANIE!" Castle yelled to her, Kate winced and weakly covered her ears. Lanie and Esposito came crashing in. Lanie was immediately on her knees next to Castle.

"What's she been doing?" Lanie asked, feeling Kate's head.

"Throwing up mostly, seems to be sensitive to light and sound…" Castle said, hoping he sounded professional.

"Hung over?" Esposito guessed. Lanie shook her head.

"PCS," she said, "let's get her to the hospital."

Castle and Esposito soon found that when Kate was in trouble, Lanie seemed to get rather bossy. "Castle, you carry her, if you shake her head to much I will kill you and pass it by as 'random' when I do the autopsy," she barked. Esposito brought the car around, Lanie climbed in the passenger side while Castle and sat in back with Kate curled up next to him. Simply to save time, Esposito stuck the gumball to the top of the car and let loose the sirens.


	19. PJ's

Lanie was powering walking through the hospital, apparently she had a friend up in the Nero section. Kate had her eyes closed and was resting her head against his chest. Esposito was on the phone with the captain and Ryan was calling up Alexis for him. A big man with gingery-brown close-cut hair called out to Lanie.

"Doctor Parish," he held his arms wide like he expected a hug, " I heard you had someone coming up to see me." Lanie smiled.

"Hey Toby, long to no see," they both looked at Kate, " PCS, from my understanding," she explained. He nodded.

"I'll go find an open room , meanwhile you should fill out a sheet," he gestured to the nurses station. Lanie nodded.

"Thanks Toby." He smiled.

"Anything for Dr. Parish."

The small waiting area was empty, Castle laid Kate down on a couch and sat in the chair next to her while Lanie started o the form and Esposito went to call Kate's dad. That's when Castle's phone started screeching.

"DAD DAD DAD DAD DAD!" He ring tone blared, it was Alexis. Kate winced and covered her ears. He held to phone to his ear.

"DAD! Is she okay, what's wrong?" Alexis practically yelled from the other line.

"I don't know, sweetie, Lanie thinks its PCS," he explained. He could hear his mother in the back ground.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"yeah, I'm fine, she managed not to throw up on my clothes…" he chuckled a little. Someone's footsteps echoed in the hallway and Josh came into view over the fake plants lining the waiting area. "Listen, sweetie, I got to go. Get some sleep, okay?" Alexis said goodbye and they hung up.

"Kate?" Josh asked peering over the plastic shrubs. Lanie looked up and cursed under her breath.

"Josh, just keep walking," she ordered. Josh did no such thing.

"Lanie, what's wrong with her, is she okay?" he asked, walking into the waiting area. Lanie stood up to block his path.

"She's fine Josh, I'm taking care of this," the medical examiner insisted. Josh looked around her to Kate.

"No, Lanie, you need a doctor to help her!" She looked at him like he was kidding.

"I am doctor," she retorted. He looked at her like she was crazy.

"You're just a medical examiner!" he said, trying to get around her. She stepped in front of him again, this time with a death grip on his arm. Her pink manicured nails dung into his skin.

"You wanna run that pass me again!" She stepped even closer. A door closed down the hall and Toby walked into the waiting area.

"Okay, Dr. Parish, we're all set for her.." he trailed off at the end as her took in the scene. Lanie let go of Josh's arm and walked past Toby.

"Good," she muttered.

"Okay, Kate, follow my finger," Dr. Toby DeHeot said and held his finger up for her. She wasn't able to focus on it completely. He nodded and jotted something down. "So, she's been throwing up and covering her ears at loud noises?" Lanie and Castle nodded. He looked at Kate. "Kate, are you dizzy?"

"Yeah," she said meekly. The doctor nodded.

"I don't feel the need to give her an MRI, the evidence is more than clear," he said, "the brain usually repairs it self in about a week. I'd like to keep her overnight, see how she is in the morning."

"Okay," Lanie nodded, it was obvious that she was still hung up on what Josh had said. She turned to Esposito, "Javier, Hun, can you go get the p.j's from my trunk?"

"P.j's?" he asked.

"What? I came prepared," she said with a smile before heading out of the room, she looked over her shoulder, "com'on Castle."


	20. Knights and Castles

"Castle," Caste turned at the sound of Montgomery's voice, he was standing with Kate's dad. Castle walked over to them.

"Hello, Rick," said, looking past him to the room where his daughter was sleeping, "I-is she okay?" his voice quivered a little and Montgomery put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah," he lied, Kate was dizzy beyond all reason and more-than-likely had a huge migraine, how is that fine? Her dad nodded.

"DAD!" Alexis's voice boomed from the other side of the hall. The small army of precinct staff turned toward the redhead dead-sprinting to Castle. She hit him hard, wrapping her arms around him. "Is she okay? What happened?"

"She'll be fine sweetie," he reassured her Alexis looked from Mr. Beckett to Castle, "Uh, Mr. Beckett, this is my daughter, Alexis." Despite his obvious edginess, he smiled at the seventeen year old.

"Do you think I could see her?" He asked Montgomery, who nodded.

Kate Beckett had never looked so helpless. Asleep in a hospital bed, wearing a tank top and plaid pajama pants.

"Oh, Katie," her dad muttered, sinking into a chair beside her and grabbing her hand. She stirred a bit but didn't wake up. "I remember when she was…seven, she punched a boy in the face and broke her little hand. They had to surgically reset it," he laughed to himself as he recalled the memory, "oh, Johanna couldn't stand to sight of our little Katie in a hospital bed, she stayed with her the whole time, drawing knights and castles on her cast." They all laughed at the thought of a little Beckett, holding out her arm while her mom drew fantastical lands on it.

"Sounds just like her," Lanie said from the corner. He smiled again.

"Then there was the time we had to take her to the E.R, she was six and got a Lego stuck up her nose," everyone laughed again, "everyone told us we should have another kid, give her someone to play with," he gazed at this daughter, "but Katie was the only think we wanted." His thumb traced circles on her hand. Then he looked around as if noticing he was in a hospital room for the first time. "I-I'm going to go talk to the doctor." He bent down to kiss Kate's forehead and left.

"Did anyone else tear up?" Ryan asked, wiping his eyes. Esposito thumped him on the back of the head. After a brief discussion, everyone decided to head down to the deli down the block for a quick lunch.

"Alexis, Hun, you coming?" Lanie asked while everyone filed up but Alexis stayed put.

"Nah," she shook her head, "I'm not hungry." Lanie nodded and followed the crowd. Alexis sat in silence next to Kate's bed, unwilling to leave her alone in the hospital. After five long minutes of silence Kate moaned and thrashed her head to one side, wincing at the movement. "Kate?" the detective's eyes fluttered open.

"Ugh," she lifted and arm up and ran her fingers through her hair. She slowly moved her head to face Alexis, squinting against the light.

"How are feeling?" Alexis asked. Kate blinked very slowly.

"Stiff, dizzy, crappy. There are an infinite amount of adjectives…" she muttered. Alexis beamed. Kate smiled back, " you look bright and shiny today."

"I'm just glad you're awake, everyone else went for lunch and your dad's talking to the doctor…"

"My dads here?" Kate tried to sit up but decide it was futile since the world spun every time she moved. Alexis nodded.

"Yeah, I like him, he's nice. Do you need anything?" she stood up, ready for a command.

"Water would be helpful," she said as Josh strode into her room. "Go away." He looked at her incredulously.

"I'm the boss here, Kate," he gestured around him.

"I'm the law, go away." He smiled and sat in one of the chairs, making Kate grind her teeth in frustration.

"Just go away josh, she doesn't want you here," Alexis said. He turned to see her for the first time.

"I don't believe I've ever met you, who are you exactly?"

"It doesn't matter who she is, Josh, go away," Kate insisted. He looked Alexis up and down like a hawk examining it's prey.

"She's the writer's daughter, isn't she?" he looked from Kate to Alexis. "Interesting, very interesting."


	21. Buttercup

A throat cleared behind Josh, he turned right into Montgomery. "Excuse me, doctor," he said, "but as Captain of the 12th precinct I'm formally asking you to leave my detective alone, informally as her friend I'm saying get your ass out of here or I'll have all the authorities here turn their head while we let Lanie deal with you." Josh raised his eye brows, and scoffed at the threat.

"That's against the law." Montgomery smiled and held up his badge.

"Son, I am the law," he pulled his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through the contacts, he pointed a number out to the doctor, "Oh, look, isn't he your boss? What would he think if I told him you were harassing a police detective in the hospitals care and a minor?" Josh glared at the captain and walked out.

"Thank you sir," Kate said when she was sure Josh was out of earshot. Alexis handed Kate her water.

"How are you feeling, Beckett?" Montgomery asked, sitting on the end of her bed. She shrugged as she downed the water.

"Tired, sick, headache, dizzy," she said, "the usual." He laughed.

"Listen, Beckett, I'm thinking at least five days desk work after you're better...just in case…" Her eyes enlarged.

"WHAT?" she said so loud a nurse poked her head in to see if every thing was okay, "No, sir, FIVE DAYS? I'm better to you in the field!" Alexis sat down in the chair.

"Not like this you're not," he countered, "just do everything you can to get better and we'll see about your field time, you're more use at a desk than not at all." He got up with out another word and left. Kate ran her had through her hair again and groaned.

"That sucks," she said to herself more than to Alexis, "you said my dad was here, right?" Alexis nodded. "In my purse is my phone, can you grab it for me?" She did as asked and handed Kate the phone.

"Hello?" Kate's dad's voice echoed on speaker phone.

"Hey, dad," Kate said.

"Katie! You're up, I'll be right there," he sounded like he could be jumping for joy.

"Okay, dad," Kate laughed. Less than a minute later he stepped through the door.

"Hey, butter cup," he practically ran over to her, "How are you?" She stuck her tongue out at her old nick-name.

"Like a drunk sloth," he smiled and wrapped her in a hug. She breathed in the scent of his cologne, the kind he had been wearing since she could remember.

"I'll go get a doctor, sweetie, see when we can bust you out of here," he said, his hands on her shoulders. He got up to leave but stopped right before the door and said, "that Rick guy…he's good for you." Kate smiled as he walked out of the door.

"He's right, you know," Alexis piped up and sat on the edge of the bed, "you two are perfect together." Kate smiled again.

"You really think so?" Alexis nodded, her phone vibrated and she flipped it open, "hey dad, we were just talking about you…..yeah, she's awake….Oh, com'on! School's almost over anyway," she rolled her eyes and hung up. "They're on their way. My dad can't wait to see you." Kate smiled.

"So, the feeling is mutual."

**30 minutes till season finale (central time). Can't wait, but I get the strange feeling that I'll cry…**

**Happy Castle Monday!**

**-McCarthy**


	22. Sleep Talk

"I'm only signing this if you'll be staying with one of them," the doctor told Kate and ,indirectly, the small group around her. Everyone in the room looked at Castle.

"She'll stay with us," Alexis said from behind Castle, Kate smiled. The doctor shrugged at singed the form of release for Kate.

"All the medication you can take is Tylenol or IB Proven, you'll feel basically the same as you do right now for about a week or so until your brain is fully healed," the doctor said ," If your symptoms start to get WAAY worse, come back." Kate nodded slowly, quietly wincing at the pain in her neck and head. "Oh, and you'll be stiff," the doctor added with a smile.

Five minutes later Kate was digging her nails into Castle's arm for balance as they slowly made their way out of the hospital.

"You don't have to do this, you know," she said, "My dad would have been more than giddy if he got to take car of me." She tucked her hair behind her ear with the hand who's finger weren't lodged in his arm.

"Excuse me, detective, I don't believe I ever said we would take care of you. That was Alexis," he smiled at the redhead training behind them.

"oh, please dad, you were about to say something," Alexis said, falling in step with them, "You know, this is one of those moment I'll be telling my kids about…"

"Or the two of them could have kids and you could tell your stepsiblings about it," Lanie yelled from across the parking lot. Alexis smiled, Kate blushed, and Castle leaned in close to her and whispered.

"It's scary how cat-like her hearing is…" Kate laughed and stumbled on the rough concrete, Alexis grabbed her other arm for support. Kate stopped walking and looked at Alexis then Castle.

"you two aren't going to let me out of your sight, are you?" the father and daughter simultaneously broke out into an evil grin. Kate just shook her head and continued to walk. When they got to Kate's car Castle opened the door for her, she smiled and crawled in. Alexis chattered about Ashley for the back while Castle walked around and pulled himself in the driver's side.

"Been along time since I've in this seat," he said, sliding form slide to side in it. Kate looked at him like he was crazy.

"you've never been in my seat…"

"Oh, no, you weren't there….it was during that home invasion case with the MADT," he smiled to himself, "ah, good times." Kate smiled.

"You mean the one were I saved you from almost certain death?" she asked. Alexis scoffed from the back.

"Well THAT narrows it down," she muttered and clicked her seatbelt on. They had just started driving to the loft when Castle's phone started ringing, he pushed the speaker button and placed it on the middle counsel.

"Hello mother," he said. Glancing down at the phone.

"Hello, darling, has Kate woken up yet?" she sounded tense. Kate smiled…again.

"I'm right here, Martha."

"Oh! She's up and you didn't call me?" all the tension was gone, now it sounded as though you just took away her Tony Award.

"No, she's sleep taking. it's a result of the enormous amounts of caffeine she consumes a day," Castle smiled at her, she discreetly gave him the finger.

"Ha ha, Mr. Funny Man," Martha said in a monotone, "Kate, darling, how are you feeling?"

"Oh, I'm fine. I cant be without parental super vision ,though," Kate noticed that they were only a few blocks away from the loft. "Hey, Martha, we're just a few blocks away…."

"OH YOU'RE STAYING WITH US? Richard Castle, you could've at least sent me a text!" she scolded. They said their goodbyes and hung-up. Kate gave Castle a serious look.

"I don't really sleep talk, do I?"


	23. Cherry Scent

"Oh, darling," Martha wrapped Kate in a hug the second she walked through the door.

"Hi, Martha," Kate muttered. When Martha finally let go of her, Kate collapsed on the couch. Martha shot Castle a worried glance.

"The doctor said she would be very tired, dizzy, and have headaches," he explained and checked his watch. It was almost 5:30. "What do we want to do for dinner?" They all looked at Kate.

"DON"T LOOK AT ME!" she said, blood rushing to her face, "it really doesn't matter to me."

"Chinese?" Alexis suggested.

"Sure," Castle looked to Martha and Kate, they both nodded. "Chinese it is!" He spun into the kitchen and grabbed a tiny pamphlet decorated with little red dragons and dojos. While he called in the order Kate called Lanie to bring over some of her stuff.

"Just, anything I'll need," Kate said into the speaker.

"That's pretty vague! Tampons? Pads? Long p.j pants? Soffees? Tennis'? Flip-flops?" She could tell Lanie was rolling her eyes.

"Lanie, just what ever is in my dresser."

"What about the closet?" Kate could hear the closet doors opening, "Oh, this is cute!"

"LANIE!" Kate pulled back and looked at the phone as if she could see the medical examiner through it, "my work clothes are in the closet, get stuff out of the dresser." There was the sound of metal sliding across metal, like the hangers in the closet.

"Oh, girl, Imma take you shopping…" Lanie muttered. Kate rolled her eyes.

"Goodbye, Lanie."

"Bye!" Kate hit the end button and leaned back on the couch, closing her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Castle asked, sitting next to her and holding out a beer. She looked from him to the bottle.

"I'm not going to drink the same day I was released from the hospital." He shrugged. "Lanie's going to drop off some stuff for me, she's going through my wardrobe right now…" She rested her head on his shoulder, eyes still closed.

"Ten bucks says she brings you a hooker dress." Kate laughed.

"Castle, I don't own a hooker dress, why would I?" He shrugged.

"You never know. Why does Hermione Granger have a never-ending bag?" He asked.

"It's just a normal bag with a spell on it, it was smart for her to put the spell on it in the first place.."

"Touché, detective, touché." Kate just smiled and shook her head.

The next thing Castle knew, Kate was asleep on his shoulder and Lanie was ringing the doorbell. He slowly slid away from the sleeping Kate, laying her down with a pillow and blanket. When he answered the door he had a finger to his lips.

"Whaa?" Lanie whispered. He gestured to Kate on the couch. Lanie nodded. "I picked up some Tylenol for her too, just in case…"

"Thanks, Lanie," he took the bag from her and set it by the couch.

"You'll take good care of her?" He smiled and nodded.

"As long as you didn't pack a hooker dress," he muttered. Lanie looked at him like he was crazy. "Yes, I'll take good care of her. I'll even have her call you with updates every day."

"what ever, call her dad, not me," she said, "make sure she actually takes the Tylenol, she's been known to not take her medicine.." Castle put his hands on her tiny shoulders.

"Lanie, don't worry. I can take care of her. I do have parenting skills, after all." she nodded and they said their goodbyes. Five minutes later , when the Chinese arrived, Castle put Kate's in the refrigerator and carried Kate to his bedroom. He tucked her under the covers, kissed her forehead, and turned off the lights.

When he fell asleep on the couch that night he found himself humming "Two is Better Than One" and breathing in the cherry scent Kate left on the pillow beneath his head.


	24. Slow for Pedestrians

When Alexis woke up Kate was still asleep. She shrugged it off and went into the kitchen.

"Morning pumpkin," Castle said, flipping an egg , "how'd you sleep?"

"Fine, is Detective Beckett still asleep?" She glanced to his bedroom door.

"Yeah, I told you , the doctor said she'd be tired," he explained again, sliding a plate across the counter to her. Alexis looked down at it.

"Is this a smorelet or an omelet?" She asked. Castle wiggled his eyebrows.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out, if you dare." Alexis took a fork full and slowly brought it to her lips, trying to ignore Castle humming "The Final Countdown" . When Alexis started spitting it back into a napkin Castle smiled like a maniac.

"DAD! THAT IS SO GROSS!" She freaked, "I'm just going to start getting breakfast at school." She kissed his cheek and left.

He sat there for a good five minutes, pushing the smorelet around on the plate till he decided to go check on Kate. She was half awake, half asleep.

"Kate?" he sat next to her on the bed, she moaned and flipped over to face him.

"Morning Castle," she muttered. He fell back onto the bed next to her, she snuggled up next to him. "Please tell me that I haven't been sleeping for a scary amount of time."

"13 and a half hours," he said, putting his arm around her, "Lanie brought over some clothes for you."

"No hooker dresses?" she smiled, eyes still closed.

"No hooker dresses," he assured her. She nodded and sighed.

"How much do I owe you for that Chinese?" Kate opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Nothing."

"No. Castle, I'll let you take care of me but you are NOT, I repeat NOT paying for me!" She propped herself up on one elbow.

"Okay, fine, I'm not paying for you," he held his hands up in defeat, "What can I do?"

"you can always do this," Kate whispered, pulled his down toward her. Her lips found his and they kissed with a fiery passion that would leave Nikki Heat gaping-mouthed. Castle kissed his way up and down her neck, stopping just below her collar bone.

"That's a pretty short list," he whispered in her ear, before sucking on her earlobe.

"Yeah, well, I have a pretty short attention span right now." Castle could've -no- would've ripped her clothes off right there. If her phone hadn't started ringing. She grabbed the phone, put it on speaker, and put it on her stomach.

"Katie?" The person on the other line said.

"Hi, dad."

"Hi, Mr. Beckett," Castle smiled.

"Hello, Rick. Katie how are you feeling? Are you okay?" Kate rolled her eyes.

"Yes, dad, I'm fine, just tired."

"Are you suppose to be tired? Why are you so tired?" He asked.

"The doctor said I would be tired, dad, it's nothing to worry about," She looked at Castle and grinned.

"Okay, just checking up on you…"

"I know dad, I'm fine. Rick will call if anything goes wrong." Castle wondered if this is how he would be if anything happened to Alexis.

"Okay, I'll let you go then. Goodbye, I love you."

"Love you too, dad." She hit the end button and looked and Castle. "Don't worry, I love you too, Castle." He smiled as she pulled him to her, as close as humanly possible.

"Wasn't planning on it."

"Good, then you also shouldn't worry again, I don't bite hard," she whispered, wrapping her hand around him through the fabric. He moaned softly.

"Good, cause I don't slow for pedestrians, if you know what I mean."

**Wow, guys, last week of school for me. Freshman next year, yikes. Oh well, I have all summer to write. :D Please review. **

**-McCarthy**


	25. Honey Bee

"I call it, the total sensory overload," Castle said, flipping the grilled cheese sandwich onto a plate.

"Really?" Kate asked. He picked up half of the sandwich, Kate slipped it from his fingers and took a bite. After she swallowed she said, "I call it a sandwich." She laughed as he took his sandwich back.

"That's it," he jabbed the burnt end of the bread at her, "you've been demoted from grilled deliciousness to leftover Chinese." He gestured with the sandwich to the refrigerator. "I hope you learnt your lesson." Kate rolled her eyes and laughed, sliding off the bar stool and across the kitchen.

She had changed into a skin-tight yellow v-neck t-shirt and green, yellow, and blue pajama pants. She slid across the floor twirling around until she stumbled into Castle's arms.

"Katherine Beckett," he gasped, "you never mentioned you were a ballerina! Bravo!" She rested her head against his chest and sighed.

"I'm not, can you see me running around in a fluffy pink to-to?" Kate muttered. He wiggled his eyebrows.

"I want to." She slapped his chest playfully. "Are you okay?" he asked, pulling back to see her face.

"Yeah, just waiting for the world to stop spinning…." Without further hesitation Castle put his arm around her and swept his arm under her legs. Kate squealed and clung to him as he carried her to the couch. Kate moaned and buried her head in the pillows. Castle picked up the upper half of her body and slid under it, setting her head in his lap, and gently stroked her hair. "W-what time is it?" she whispered. He checked his watch.

"12:59" He stated, she groaned.

"Can you turn my phone on vibrate? Lanie's lunch break is in 30 seconds and I'm the first person she'll call." He chuckled.

"you can't be sure of that."

"Castle, please." He shrugged and reached for her phone just as the screen lit up and started blaring her ring tone. Kate's knees flew up to her chest, she clapped her hands on her ears, and winced.

"yes, Lanie?" Castle said into the speaker.

"Castle, how's Kate?"

"You know, this lack of faith you clearly have in me really hurts…"

"Castle," Lanie said in a monotone.

"She's fine…I think…." He looked at Kate for confirmation. She gave a weak thumbs up. "Yeah, she's fine, just peachy."

"Let me talk to her."

"Sorry, that's a negative Ghost Rider."

"Richard Edgar Castle, you let me talk to her or I swear to God I'll kill you with so many un-detectible poisons you're writer friends wont even have theories-"

"OKAY! Damn, who are you? My mother?" He handed the phone to Kate.

"Hi Lanie," Castle could hear Lanie's muffled voice through the speaker. "Yeah, I'm fine" "It's Castle, don't listen to him!" She rubbed her temple and winced. "Okay, I'll talk to you later….bye Lanie." She dropped the phone and closed her eyes.

"Are you going to be okay?" He asked.

"No," Kate muttered, her hand rested palm-up on her forehead. "I feel like I could throw up everything I've ever eaten in my entire life…"

"Not on the rug, I hope." He watched the corner of her mouth twitch up slightly. Her body suddenly lurched forward and a hand covered her mouth. She looked up at him with pleading green eyes. Castle carefully picked her up and carried her to the bathroom.

He sat on the edge of the fairly large tub, right next to the toilet and held Kate's hair.

"Castle, you don't have to stay," she muttered, her voice echoed in the toilet bowl.

"Yes I do, Lanie would kill me in the most horrible way possible if I didn't," he said in a cheery voice. She sighed and let her forehead rest on the tip of the seat. "You realize I sit on that….right?"

"yes, Castle."

"That doesn't weird you out, even a little?" She turned her eyes on him. He could see the exhaustion in their vast greenness. "Stay right here," he held up a finger and escaped to his room.

Two minutes later he returned with three comforters, two sheets, and seven pillows.

"Castle, what are you doing?" He held up the finger again and started throwing them into the tub. Once he had made a nest of bed accessories to be proud of, he lifted Kate into it, just close enough to reach the toilet if need be. "Castle…" He got in behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling a blanket over them.

"Nap time," he whispered in her ear, and kissed her temple. She rolled her eyes and snuggled down into him. Her eyelids got heavier with every breath until she drifted away to Castle singing to himself.

"'If you'll be my soft and sweet I'll be your strong and steady, You'll be my glass of wine I'll be your shot of whiskey ,You'll be my sunny day I'll be your shade tree, You'll be my honeysuckle I'll be your honey bee'"

**I'm officially a freshman (I'm kinda pumped) so, I have all summer to write…YAAAAY! Um, now that I think about it…Castle doesn't really strike me as a country music type of guy….hmm, please review! :D**

**-McCarthy**


	26. Shower Heads

Castle was momentarily worried why he was napping in the bathtub. But the sight of Kate sound asleep next to him jogged his memory. Her flawless face looked so peaceful, a smile spread across her lips, and her nose twitched a little. Castle stifled a laugh and dry-washed his hands on his face, when he set his hand back on the floor of the tub for balance he unintentionally hit the lever on the nozzle to turn on the shower. The shower head immediately started spurting ice cold water.

Castle cursed, Kate jolted awake and squealed as the freezing water poured down on them. He helped her out of the tub and quickly tried to grab the blankets. When Kate turned off the water they just looked at each other, wide eyed, before bursting out with laughter.

"Why in the Hell did we think that would work?" She giggled. Yes, Kate Beckett GIGGLED.

"Spur of the moment thing," He explained, "a lot like both my marriages…" Castle grabbed a two towels, Kate took one. She tussled her hair with it and wiped off her arms.

"Oh, breaking out the mirage jokes?" he laughed, taking the towels back and grabbing her hand.

"Yeah, and I wouldn't put it pass Gina to bug the house….." he was interrupted by the sound of Kate's phone ringing.

"Beckett." She pressed the speaker button and held it up high enough for the two of them to hear and talk into it.

"Yo, we just closed the Thompsbower case," Esposito sounded proud of himself.

"That's awesome, who killed her!" Esposito hesitated like he didn't want to tell her.

"That's were it gets tricky…um, see…well…Josh's alibi kinda fell threw. Turns out, all the girls we talk to for his alibi were the SAME person, just five different numbers! I'm surprised it took us this long to figure it out…" he started ramping on about how he and Ryan came to realize it was only one person and how they had arrested Josh. Kate, however, dropped the phone like it was a hot coal when Esposito said they had arrested him.

"Kate?" She started to sway, Castle held out his arm for her to steady her self. He helped her to his bed and ran back for the phone, Esposito was still chatting away. "Hey, Esposito, can we call you back? Alexis will be home anytime now…"

"sure, bro, no problem."

"Thanks, congratulations on the arrest." When hung up Kate broke out into silent sobs.

"Castle, he KNEW!" he pulled her closer, and she curled up against him, "he knew how much it killed me, everyday, knowing that my mother's killer was still out there! He knew I couldn't stand the monsters that took peoples lives away!"

Castle gently rubbed her back, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"H-he knew," Kate whimpered, "and he did it anyway. He WANTED to get caught, he WANTED to destroy me…"

"He wanted you to notice him, Kate." She turned her wet, green eyes to his blue ones.

"Notice him? All I ever did was effing notice him! I noticed him when he was running his meaty little claws all over Nina! I noticed him when he came into my hospital room! I even noticed him when he was away in Haiti!" She broke into another round of sobs.

"Kate, just forget about him, all right? He's not worth your time." Castle faintly heard the front door open, to early for it to be Alexis or Martha. He was about to reach for Kate's gun, just in case, when Dr. Lanie Parish strode into his bed room.

"Richard Castle," she said in only a way she could muster, "I need to talk to you, in private." Her brown eyes were cold, but when she turned them to Kate they took on a loving glow. Kate looked from her best friend to Castle, obviously confused. "It'll only be a minute, sweetie."

"Hey, Lanie, what's up and how did you get into my house?" He asked as she pulled him into the living room. The medical examiner turned on him.

"I heard about Josh, and you listen to me, Richard Castle. You are going to take Kate out of the city, up to that fancy-schmancy beach house of yours in the Hamptons."

"What?"

"You heard me, take her up there till Montgomery's ready to put her back in the field. This whole Josh thing is going to destroy her. Especially if she stays here! Every motorcycle will remind her of him, every ambulance!" Lanie gestured to the world out side his window.

"What if she doesn't want to go?" He asked. Lanie smiled.

"Oh, let me handle that."


	27. Pinky Promise

"No," Kate said simply, shaking her head. Lanie sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Sweetie, you need to get out of the city," Castle sat back and watched Lanie work her magic, "fair warning, I have back up."

"Lanie, I'm not leaving, what if something happens? I won't be able to sit on the beach with I know I'm missing out on things here!" The medical examiner shook her head.

"I didn't want to have to do this, baby, but you leave me no choice," Kate looked at Castle for clarification, he shrugged. Lanie strode to the front door and flung it open, "Okay, you can come in.," she said to someone waiting outside. A little girl, who looked a freakish amount like Lanie, came running in. The only difference of the two was the age and the little girl had bouncy curls.

"KATIE!" The girl squealed, running into Kate's arms. Lanie smiled, the detective glared at her.

"Castle," Lanie said, " meet my niece, Aleah." Aleah sat on Kate's lap and turned her brown eyes on Castle, she couldn't have been more then four. "Aleah, what was it you wanted to tell Katie?"

"Katie, you need ta go wiff Mr. Castle ta his beach house, cause it's nicer up there and there's more fishes," Aleah beamed, the corners of Kate's mouth twitched up. Castle wondered how long Lanie spent bribing her niece to do this.

"Oh, Leah, then I couldn't be here with you," Kate cooed.

"Dat's oh-tay, cause I got ta go ta grandma's house! So, will you go to see the fishes for me?" The little girls eyes grew bigger and the smile looked far more innocent than before. There was no way she could say no to that face.

"Okay," she said to the girl. Aleah stuck her pinky out.

"Pinky promise?" Kate's long white pinky wrapped around Aleah's short dark one.

"Pinky promise."

"I hate you," Kate said as she, Castle, and Lanie brought suitcases to the front door , later that day, "Both of you."

"Well, that's to bad. Because you pinky promised," Castle gloated, throwing open the front door.

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun! Beaches, swim suits, and sun!" Lanie prompted. She received another glare.

"don't you mean: sharks, tampons, and burns?"

"Wow," Castle muttered, "you are all pessimistic today, aren't you?" Lanie grabbed Kate's elbow and led her to the elevator.

"When was the last time you had a vacation, anyway?"

"Yesterday," Kate said. Lanie glared.

"You know what I mean."

"Who knows what who means?" Castle asked, coming up behind them.

"Nothing," the girls said in unison. He shrugged and hit the button clearly labeled "1".


	28. Sand Castle

"Son of a…" Kate's mouth fell open and she dropped her suit case when she walked in to Castle's beach house. The two story, four bedroom, beachfront house was simply stunning. It was decorated in assorted shades of blue and cream, and had a fresh ocean breeze flying in threw the open windows.

"What?" Castle asked, coming up behind her.

"It's so…wow." She looked around the open entry hall. On the left side the was a winding wooden stair case, straight across form them was a matching archway leading into a huge kitchen. "It kinda reminds me of Isle Esme from _Breaking Dawn_." He nodded.

"Everyone seems to feel the need to say that, you would not believe one of Alexis's friends…." he rambled on but Kate tuned out. Eventually Castle picked up on her silence and led her up the stairs. They walked to the end of a wide hall with beautifully polished wood floors, to a sky blue door. "This is your room." He turned the handle slowly, Kate suddenly realized she was holding her breath.

The room was breath taking to Kate, Light wood four-poster bed, a matching dresser and vanity, Cream colored walls, corn-flower blue bed spread, candles, and glass bowl with two water lilies floating around in it.

"Castle, this is…." she struggled to find the right word, " spectacular."

"really?" She nodded and walked over to a window looking out over the ocean.

"It's so beautiful…."

"Have I finally found something that leaves Kate Beckett dumb-founded?" He asked, coming up next to her. The side of Kate's mouth twitched up.

"You wish." He shook his head and held up two fingers an inch apart.

"Ah, that close," she smiled and shook her head. "Do you want to go down and swim?"

She bit her lip and looked longingly toward the water.

"Why the Hell not?"

After an hour or so of splashing around in the water like a couple of toddlers on a sugar high, Kate and Castle fell onto the sand and stared up at the sky.

"Wow," Kate muttered, taking in every cloud. It didn't take long for Castle to fall asleep on the beach.

When he finally woke up the first thing he noticed was the sand. Sand covered every inch on his body, besides his face.

"Hello, sleeping beauty," Kate laughed from beside him. He turned his head, disturbing the mound of sand around it. She laughed again at the look of utter confusion on his face.

"wha-"

"I thought I'd make a sand castle," she joked, pushing her aviators down her nose to get a better look at him.

"Ha ha, very funny," he said in a monotone. Castle sat up-right, sand falling from his shoulders and chest. Kate crawled over and helped him dust himself off.

"What? You and Lanie wanted me to come here to get over Josh, so, why not have a little fun?" He had never mention anything about Josh.

"How'd you know it was about Josh?" He asked immediately. Kate glanced up at him.

"I didn't, I was bluffing." She became very intent on making sure he was completely de-sanded. They sat under the hot sun in silence, wiping the sand off of his body. Kate finally broke the awkward silence, "I'm sorry, about the sand castle thing…."

"What, are you kidding? You were patting me down and I didn't even know I'm intrigued." She laughed and he put his arm around her waist. They trudged back to the house's back porch, soaking up the rays and laughing about every funny thing that has ever happened to them in the precinct. Mummies, the under ground poker game, the bet they had with Ryan and Esposito, their undercover operation at the M.A.D.T party, and ,of course, Morgan Lockerby biting Castle's neck. They laughed till they cried until the sun went down and night took over.

"Night, Castle," Kate said, they were standing in the hall in front of her door. She had one hand on the door knob, the other was in his.

"Until tomorrow, detective," he replied. She rolled her eyes and found herself leaning in as he kissed the top of her head. Kate Beckett found her self wanting Castle more than she ever had, watching him walk down the hall and disappear into his bedroom.

**Wow, seems like a good place to end it….yay or nay?**

**-McCarthy**


	29. Early Bird Sells Sheets on eBay

Kate Beckett fell asleep as peaceful as she ever had between the crisp white sheets under a cornflower blue comforter. When she woke up the next morning, however, she felt horrible and her sheets had been replaced by what looked like the Japanese flag.

"Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit," she muttered. Her head pounded, her back ached, she had cramps, and she was hungry, very hungry. "Okay, Kate," she whispered aloud to herself , "breath in, breath out." She heard Castle's door open down the hall. Kate prayed she hadn't woken him up and started thinking up ways to erase the blood.

"Kate?" His voice was muffled by the wall, but she could hear him padding down the hall.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Castle lightly knocked on her door.

"Kate? Are you okay?" She bit her lip and looked around helplessly.

"I'm fine," she lied, "um, how much did you like these sheets?" He seemed to take that as come-in-and-look-at-the-horrible-mess-she's-in. "CASTLE!" Kate hissed when he opened the door.

"OH MY GOD, Kate! Are you okay?" Castle asked, running to her side. Kate automatically assumed he had no idea where the blood had come from. "What happened?" She didn't want to move and increase the pain she was already in, so she just lay there awkwardly looking up at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Did you cut yourself on something?" He asked. For a man completely surrounded by women he really was very clueless.

"Nooooo." Kate pursed her lips and looked around the room, any where but Castle.

"How-" Then it clicked. "OH GOD, KATE!"

"Castle, I'm so sorry! I had no idea it was going to…it came slightly early…" He cocked his head to one side and looked at the blood stain.

"how…" he muttered to himself.

"you know damn well how, Castle!" He rolled his eyes.

"Do you have any…um, products with you?" Castle glanced around the room.

"I might have some in my bag, it kind of slipped my mind," she gestured toward her suitcase with her head, wincing as the pain increased. It was like she had a major brain freeze. He bent down and rummaged through her bag, finally pulling out a tampon.

"This?" he moved it around in his hand, examining it, "how on earth do you go about operating this kind of machinery? Please don't tell me you put it…"

Kate shrugged.

"AH, ew! Now I know why you're so grumpy all the time! You got a little cardboard stick shoved up your-"

"CASTLE, just hand it to me!" Kate extended her arm, he placed it in her palm. "Okay, now turn around." He looked at her like she was crazy.

"Aren't you gonna pee first?" he asked, " It can't be healthy to go to the bathroom with that lodged where the sun don't shine…" he glanced at the bathroom. Kate glared at him and moved her finger in a circle.

"Turn around, now." Castle shrugged and faced the window, looking out over the beach. After about a minute he was relieved. "You can turn back around." He did so without question. Castle's eyes wandered to Kate's bloody shorts.

"Maybe you should change…I'll clean up in here." Kate shook her head, wincing again. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she lied, Castle saw right through it, "my head just hurts…and my back… and I have cramps, bad cramps. I'm hungry, but I feel sick, and just all around like dog shit."

"Yeah," he nodded, "I'm defiantly cleaning this up and you're going to change into different P.J's. Savvy?" Castle shooed her into his room for her to change and set to work on the sheets, it was worse than he thought it was, the crimson liquid seeped all the way down to the mattress. _Oh well, _he thought, _I need new sheets anyway, these were a bit cliché. Maybe if I add more red blotches I can sell them on eBay as 'red tie dye, slightly used'. _

**I write this chapter from experience. *insert annoyed face here*. I was asked why They weren't in the same room, if they were in the same room there was no way I was going to put this chapter in. They'll be in the same room….hold your horses. : D **

**-McCarthy**


	30. Prizes

**A/N: I know, last chapter was a little…icky. But, don't worry, Imma try and make it up to all of you! If you have any thing you wanna see happen shoot me and email! R&R! **

(Later that day)

"Castle," Kate said, breaking the silence between them as they sat on the back porch, sipping tea, he looked up from his laptop, "thanks." She was feeling way better than she had been earlier that morning.

"For what?"

"Bringing me out here, Okay, I know you really weren't given a choice, but still…." She trailed off at the end. He smiled, and took a long sip of his iced tea.

"you're welcome, I take most of the credit." Kate pursed her lips to hide her smile and nodded. The breeze picked up and the curtains of the open French door behind them fluttered. She was relishing the warm breeze, she sound of the ocean, and the taste of the tea, when Castle laughed out loud and shattered her moment. He was chuckling about something on his laptop.

"Are you looking at porn?" she asked on impulse.

"No, I told you, I use Ryan's computer for that," he gestured to the screen, "some kid recorded his sister putting up a tent and sped it up with music. The label above the video read "Tent up sped up". Two girls worked together to put up a tent on a deck in what appeared to be some where in the mid-west. Once they had the tent up, the video was rewind so they were taking it down.

"Wow, Castle, is this really what you do in your free time?" He looked into her green eyes.

"What else am I suppose to do? Write?" She rolled her eyes at him and discreetly nodded toward the water. "Oh, does Detective Beckett want to play in the water?" He cooed. She slapped his arm.

"come on, Castle, or are you afraid you'll melt?" Kate stood from her chair, Castle mimicked her. She started walking into the house to change when Castle started to chase her in. "CASTLE!" She squealed, picking up her pace. He grabbed her waist and pulled her back into him.

"Race you to the water," he whispered into her ear before giving it a light kiss and taking off up the stairs. Kate stood there for a good two seconds, heart fluttering before she came to her senses.

"HEY, CASTLE NOT FAIR!" She yelled, taking the stairs two at a time.

When Kate got her swim suit on, she looked out the window and saw that Castle had not yet made it out side, curious, she bent down by her door, he was standing on the other side, waiting for her. She decided she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. Kate had gone through lots of police training, so climbing out of the window was a piece of cake. The window let out onto the roof, and from there all she had to do was shimmy down one of the pillars surrounding the back porch. When Castle finally decide to open Kate's door and she was gone he panicked.

"HEY! RICKY!" she yelled from the ground, he stuck his head out the window and looked down at her, "DO I GET A PRIZE FOR BEATING YOU?"

"How'd you even…."

"I Have my ways. Now about that prize…"

"I'll give you a prize," Castle said when he made it down to the beach. He ran full-force at Kate, for once in her life she didn't react, she stood perfectly still while Castle charged. He used his momentum to pick her up, some how managing to keep running. Kate squealed and tightened her grip around his neck. When Castle could feel the cold water up to his thighs he used every force he had to send the detective hurdling through the air. She screamed as she plummeted toward the cold water, having only just enough time to hold her breath before her body splashed into the ocean. She didn't dare open her eyes in salt water, so she floated in the darkness, Kate lost sense of all direction. _Which way is up? _she asked herself_, just go back the way you came…which way did I come?_ She tried to calm down, Castle would come find her, he wouldn't let her drown. Kate started to feel light headed and her lungs were beginning to burn, for the first time in her career Detective Kate Beckett feared for her life. _Com'on Kate, THINK! _she commanded_ you've gotten your self out of harder situations…okay maybe that's a lie but, you know what I mean. _She couldn't pinpoint what scared her more, the fact that she was drowning, or the fact that she was having a conversation with herself_. Okay, breathe in , breathe out…WAIT, no scratch that, DO. NOT .BREATHE. IN!_ She thrashed around in the water, wondering how far down she was and why she hadn't floated back to the top. She was usually a rather good swimmer, she had never really even been remotely close to drowning before. This was the closet she had been to death, despite when she and Castle had been locked in the freezer. At least they had each other in the freezer, now she was a lone.

**A/N…Again: That last part, with the drowning, yeah, I write that from experience too (Gotta love family reunions, right?) So, kind of a cliff hanger, I'll try to post ASAP. PLEASE REVIEW! :D**


	31. Lily Pad

Kate Beckett woke up on a lily pad. Her hair spread out around her cinematically , her legs folded to the side. She sat up and looked around. The pond in which her lily pad floated my small, surrounded by a jungle. For the oddest reason, the jungle put her on edge.

"Castle?" she asked into the vast emptiness. There was no response. She was alone. Then she realized why the jungle scared her so much, it was silent, dead silent.

"Katie?" a familiar voice said from behind her, a voice she hadn't heard in twelve years. She spun around, and there she stood. Tall, brunette, very sophisticated, as though she had never left.

"Mom?" Kate look intently the woman, same dark green eyes, same brown hair, same warm smile. Johanna smiled at her daughter. Kate became vaguely aware of the long white lace dress she was wearing, and the slow movement of the lily pad floating to shore. She wasn't entirely sure either one was a good thing. "Mom, what happened? Did I d- did I die?"

"Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry," her mother said, holding her arms open. Kate resisted the urge to run into her arms now that the lily pad had docked. "You aren't dead yet, honey, just very close…" she cooed.

Kate Beckett officially didn't like this place. Fog was starting to set in, giving the jungle and even eerier take to it.

"Mom, where am I?"

"You're in-between, now hurry, I can only stay here for a certain amount of time!" Johanna gestured to the shore. Kate tentatively toke an un-sure step onto the dirt toward her mother, who immediately wrapped her into a hug. "Oh, sweetie, look at you, you're all grown up!" Kate breathed in the scent of her mom's perfume.

"Mom, I don't want to die, not yet. Not without Castle." Her mother smiled. And as if on cue, a force brought Kate flying backward onto the lily pad.

"I love you Kathrine!" her mother yelled to her daughter just as the lily pad closed around Kate.

When Kate woke up again she was laying on the beach, next to Castle, in the Hampton's. The sun was bright, the ocean sounded welcoming, and the sand was soft. Castle was biting his lip and running his hands through his hair, he looked nervous.

"Castle?" all Kate could muster was a whisper. It was all it took to propel him forward onto his knees to lean over her.

"Kate!"

"Castle, what the Hell happened?' her throat hurt and she noticed she was breathing heavy.

"you, um, drown…I ,uh, pulled you out…" he gave her a nervous smiled. "you really scared me, you weren't breathing for, like, five minutes…how is that even humanly possible?" Kate shrugged sat up, she was no longer where that god-awful lace dress.

"Thanks, for the whole pulled-me-out thing," she said. He gave a cocky shrug.

"So, are you hungry?" he asked. She suddenly realized she was, very very hungry.

"Ch-yeah, um, not to thirsty though," they both laughed. Castle bounced up and held his hands down to help her up. She took them, relishing the feeling of her hands in his. When they were both back in the house, about to sit down to lunch, Castle put his hand on her shoulder and looked her right in the eye.

"Kate, I want you to know, I'm glad you weren't killed by water today," she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Me too."

"Maybe you should take swimming lessons," he suggested. Kate glared at him over her ham and cheese hot pocket.

"Maybe people shouldn't throw me into water without my consent," she retorted.

"Ah, touché, Detective, touché. Only one more order of business though," she looked up at him, he smiled, "your bed is close to rewind, I'm sure it would be weird sleeping in Alexis's, and god knows what my mother does in her bed, soooo, I guess you're bunking with me." Kate pursed her lips and nodded.

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Oh, I will have you know, I can be a blanket hog when I want to be." Kate rolled her eyes.

"You're on." He smiled at her and stuck out his hand.

"May the best human life form win?"

"May they," she agreed, shaking his hand.


	32. Josh

Kate was curled up on very edge of the bed, away from Castle.

"I don't bite Kate," he whispered. She rolled her eyes in the darkness. She knew she wanted to curl up next to him, he knew it too. "here Katie Katie Katie, here Katie" .

"Richard Castle, don't make me come over there," she hissed. She could almost hear his smile.

"I dare you." Kate flung her arm behind her and felt her hand collide with his chest. He huffed and slid his hand under the sheets, poking her back. She flopped around on the bed to face him.

"Really?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Castle received the Beckett glare, he grinned. Kate rolled her eyes and turned back around. After a minute of silence Castle reached out, grabbed the soft fabric of the back of her pants, and yanked her backward with as much force as possible. Kate was just starting to fall asleep when she suddenly slid across the bed over to Castle.

"What the Hell?" she turned to face him.

"Hmm?"

"how the hell did you do that? You know what, I don't want to know…" Kate turned back around but didn't slide to her side of the bed. He took that opportunity to wrap his arms around her waist. When she didn't object, Castle inched closer, so his mouth was right next her ear.

"You know, you get very angry when you almost drown," he whispered, dodging the elbow she flung to his ribs. "My point exactly." Kate turned her head so she was looking into his deep blue eyes. As if on cue, Castle leaned down and pressed his lips to her, ever so softly. Kate could almost hear the cheesy romantic movie music. Even after Castle pulled away and cuddled up next to her, she felt his lips on hers. She snuggled herself in closer to Castle and thought,_ Who the Hell needs Josh, anyway?_

-End-

**A/N: So I know this chapter was short and really kinda pointless, but I needed to find some way to end it… Um, thank you every one for reading and reviewing, I do believe I'm going to start another Castle fan fiction in the near future. So, I hope you read my next one and like it just as much as I like writing this one! **

**41313 3 03349. **


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